Part 44

Frank turned, expecting to see Owen behind him. Instead he found Maurice, but that wasn't what made him stop.

Behind Maurice, back in the wider passageway from which they had barely escaped, the giant worm was thrusting past the corridor. For an instant there was nothing but a wall of flesh, but then the worm raised its forward section, lifting its open mouth skyward.

Frank thought he saw Owen, but before he could shout to him... before his eyes could even fix on him..., the mass of squealing, squirming horrors that had been following them began pouring into the space beneath the worm-

-which then proceeded to fall onto them like a hammer of flesh. The creatures caught by the impact were impossible to count or describe. Frank saw them for only an instant before the seething, chittering multitude became so much goo spraying out from under the worm's bulk. Brief jets of reddish, brownish, and grayish muck splattered the walls as the impact sent a shudder down the corridor. Maurice stopped running, turned, and watched along with Frank as madness went to war.

The worm retreated slightly, either on its own or driven back by the continuing tide of indescribable things slamming into it. Frank saw the worm's wide mouth snap shut like the jaws of a trap. Those jaws were not empty, and more goo spurted from its giant lips as its thousands of teeth ground its dinner to a thick, chunky paste. But as it did, still more nightmares scrambled over its bulk. Claws and talons and beaks and hooves and scythes of bone sliced at its thick, yet permeable flesh.

Again, the mouth opened, and again the giant maw filled with madness before snapping shut. Dozens of... things... vanished in yet another murky spray of multicolored goo, but ten times as many leapt atop the chewing mouth as soon as it was shut, and immediately began carving at the worm's flesh with whatever natural weapons sprouted from their odd bodies.

But the worm wasn't their only target. Whenever one of the creatures got to close to another, they would turn their claws and tentacles on each other more often than not... ripping each other to pieces that would often end up in the jaws of yet another feasting horror.

"They're fighting each other," Maurice gasped. "They're... they're EATING each other!"

"Where's the kid. Owen."

"He-" Maurice turned suddenly, pointing at Frank. "YOU left me out there! You were going to-"

Frank grabbed Maurice's extended finger and bent it sharply to one side. The digit broke with an audible CRACK that brought yet another scream to Maurice's throat... this one of surprise and pain instead of madness.

"YOU-" Maurice started to say.

POP!

The second sound was the cartilage around Maurice's nose as Frank punched him. It was a hard, quick blow. An instant later, Frank's thin fingers were around the larger man's throat. With the sweep of one foot, Frank had the man on the ground.

"WHAT DID YOU DO!" He shouted. "WHAT DID YOU DO TO THE KID!!?